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Friday 25 September 2009

Unmasking Trestle

Trestle theatre company will soon be appearing at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol, so a couple of weeks ago I trundled off to St Albans to talk to the Artistic Director, Emily Gray.

You can read about my visit and the face behind Trestle's mask on Theatre Bristol. Click here to read the article.

Wednesday 9 September 2009

Brewing Up a Theatrical Storm

It's not a picture of someone drinking at a brewery, it's actually 'Rum &Vodka' which runs Wed 14th - Sun 25th October
Googling ‘Brewery Theatre Bristol’ it’s a bit disappointing that, so far, the opening of such an important space appears to have flown under the radar. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not expecting it to make the News at Ten, and I did find a short article on Original FM’s website, but for there to seemingly be no online article from any Theatre commentators is a real shame.
With so little online reportage (I am excluding Theatre Bristol’s coverage – they do appear in the search results!), you may wonder why I think it is so important. I don’t blame you. How can an audience or a city understand what it could mean for them if they have no idea of what is happening?

'Full Twist' runs Wed 28th October - Sun 8th November

If you live in the Southville area, on one Thursday night you may have spotted several people dotted around North Street wearing badges and red carnations, pointing other people down the road, towards the old brewery: they were our chaperones. It was a bit like being part of a secret society, we were directed to the rear of the building where we found ourselves in a bright open space with graffiti art on the walls and freshly made bread and cheese on a table (I never quite made it to this table as I spent most of the night talking, but I did hear some very good reports). The bread is from the bakery that will reside in The Brewery and be a quirky addition to the experience. The space I have just described is not the theatre space, but the rear part of the building, where additional plans are afoot.

I arrived just in time to hear a very funny talk from the Tobacco Factory Theatre Manager, David Dewhurst about the new venture. He made the speech instead of Artistic Director Ali Robertson, who was preparing for his own ‘launch party’ as his wife had gone into labour earlier that day. After this we were finally allowed into The Brewery.

It is brilliant. It’s a small, black, ninety-seater, studio space with huge potential, which puts me in mind of The Green Room in Manchester. In addition, as an audience member, joy of joy, there are no pillars. I would also venture to say (having tested them briefly) that the seats are rather comfy. But why is a small theatre space in Southville potentially so significant?

'Gizmo Love' runs Wed 16th - Sun 27th September

Think of The Brewery as the BBC3 of theatre in Bristol. The Tobacco Factory has been producing some great work and developing its standing over the last few years, but the closure of the Bristol Old Vic really allowed it to blossom by throwing light on its work and giving it the space to grow as the city’s main theatre venue. Like BBC1 or 2, there’s a large capacity (250 – 300+ for this space, depending on the type of performance and use of space), and is great for established companies. However, this can present a problem for new, un-established companies, without a recognised piece or a strong following. These companies need a space with a smaller capacity that can allow them to run for longer to develop the work and audience support. This is where the similarity with BBC3 lies. Think of the number of shows that have been trialled and allowed to grow their audience before transferring to the ‘main channels’, including my current favourite, Bristol-based Being Human. The Brewery will hopefully work in a similar way and this is why it is so important to Bristol: it can encourage and support development in a city with a strong tradition of companies creating nationally and internationally renowned work.

'Mrs Gerrish's Christmas Stocking' runs Wed 2nd - Sun 13th December

Anyone who attended Tom Morris’ talk at the Bristol Old Vic will know that he has similar plans to develop small spaces within ‘his’ theatre, which is equally as exciting, but the spaces he wants to utilise will be very different to The Brewery, and at a time when it feels like the city is on the cusp of change over the coming years, there is plenty of room for all of these much needed performance spaces. In addition, whilst Tom Morris and Emma Stenning have very exciting plans for the future of the Bristol Old Vic and its place within the community, George Ferguson, Ali Robertson and the Tobacco Factory team are already engaging with the community rather successfully and this new venue allows them to develop that further and bring new work to their loyal audience.

I have compared these Bristol venues in isolation, but the reality is that when the Bristol Old Vic reopens we must see each one as a component of a whole, and support them as a whole (without excluding other venues in the city such as the Alma Tavern) because that is the only way they will achieve their full potential and enable our city to continue to culturally flourish.

I opened by bemoaning the lack of local and national coverage of The Brewery’s launch, but after discussing its importance, I wonder if it is better to slip under the radar? That way the theatre can do its own thing and there’s no expectation of the outcome. However, people won’t support it, if they don’t know it exists and despite the current lack of coverage, the national press have been particularly supportive of Bristol and the Bristol Old Vic, so I hope that it won’t be long before word gets out and audiences everywhere are aware of its arrival on the theatre scene and head over to check out their exciting new programme.

Links:
Tobacco Factory
Bristol Old Vic

Wednesday 2 September 2009

Review of Stephen Mottram's 'The Seed Carriers'

I love the Tobacco Factory space, but I really loathe the pillars. Sometimes they can be cleverly worked into pieces and sometimes they just get in the way. I knew one pillar would be in my sightline, but I had no idea until the show began how it would impede on my viewing. It turned out to be in exactly the right position to block out the first ten minutes of the show.


There are no words, only music, and thanks to the pillar I feared that my inability to draw the piece together into a cohesive narrative was because key moments kept disappearing. The after-show talk shed more light on the sections I had missed and I was able to find my own understanding through Mottram’s discussion of the origins of the piece.

One word: fascinating. It’s hard to describe because it’s not a linear narrative piece; there is a connection between the images, but they are, as Stephen Mottram described them, a ‘series of installations’ that evoke emotion and that emotion or reading, is entirely an audience member’s own.

Originally created in 1995 as a response to the sudden death of his father, Mottram explained that he wanted to create characters that cannot be clearly defined as good or bad, they merely do what they have to do in order to survive. The world of the characters is simple: everyone contains seeds and everyone wants those seeds in order to gain ‘new life’. The production is dark in both content and lighting design, as the whole piece is performed in a half-light, expressing the inherent ambiguous unease. But there is lightness to be found in some of Mottram’s enchanting marionettes. When asked why one of the seed-carriers disguised itself as a stork, he explained that the idea grew from a joke about ‘bending over backwards to survive’.


Mottram is more of a magician than a puppeteer: he epitomises the notion of bringing an object to life. He even showed us the mechanics of some of his puppets, but it didn’t take away from them, if anything, it made them even more magical.

Although I really enjoyed it and cannot recommend it highly enough, I couldn’t help but think it would have been better suited to the new Brewery space, as you need to view it front-on to see all of the action. I also think a more intimate space would have heightened my connection to the piece, but, most importantly of all, there would have been no pillars!

Review of Green Ginger's 'Rust'



‘The doors are closed’ said my friend and she wasn’t wrong. We’d somehow managed to beat the insane Bristol traffic and arrive early (it was the day the bridge at Avonmouth was closed causing chaos across the city). Meaning we entered the auditorium in good time and eagerly anticipated the start. The auditorium was crammed full and it seemed like it was taking forever for everyone to sit down, but finally it was time for Rust to begin. I’d read the blurb, so I had a general idea of what to expect, but then again, I had no idea what to expect:

‘Rust is the salty tale of two pirate radio stations anchored in the same murky waters, just off the South Wales coast’.It also involved kidnapping, murder and plenty of humorous songs, my favourite being ‘Claustrophobe in a Submarine’.

Within minutes it was clear that it would be enjoyed by young and old as one scene consisting of a giant underwater poo floating along, complete with musical accompaniment, sent ripples of laughter through the audience.


It was completely madcap and thoroughly enjoyable. The set design was fantastic and allowed practically seamless transitions between scenes, whilst the lighting captured the darkness of the tale. Their use of perspective illustrated their skill as storytellers and the puppeteers were brilliant, moving quickly between characters and accents.

Rust sold out last time it was at the Tobacco Factory and it did it again this time around, so if you spot it appearing again, don’t hesitate, grab a ticket while you can and prepare yourself for a really enjoyable, slightly crazy evening.

Friday 28 August 2009

Downstage Write meets Puppet Place Part 1


Head over to the Theatre Bristol website and you shall spy my interview with some of the fabulous Puppet Place team (or you can just click here). But I asked them far too much to fit in one piece, so keep an eye out on Downstage Write over the next few days, as I will be posting more of my interview with them here.

Sunday 16 August 2009

Forget Me Not


It's been a while, but Downstage Write has been a busy bee and is currently gearing up for a very exciting season and lots of articles...


Pictures Clockwise from Top Left: Green Ginger's 'Rust', John Dixon's 'Muzzle', Theatre Bristol's 'Prototype' Event, Stephen Mottram's 'The Seed Carriers'

Highlights include the new space, The Brewery, opening at the Tobacco Factory, the Bristol Festival of Puppetry (Friday 28th August - Sunday 6th September) and the new production from Trestle theatre company The Glass Mountain.

Finally, don't forget to have a look at the new Tobacco Factory Plus website. It's the pace to to find out about all the non-performance related work the theatre is involved in. It's aimed at audiences, practitioners and 'young audiences' and is definitely worth visiting.

So keep checking back for updates and interviews as Bristol gears up for a very exciting autumn...

Thursday 11 June 2009

'10by3' Actors' Scratch Night

I've heard whispers of a 'scratch night' for actors at the Bristol Old Vic for a little while now, and a couple of weeks ago, the lovely people at my local branch of Equity sent us an email confirming it was happening.

So what is an Actors' 'scratch night'? It's not a load of actors on decks, it's a chance for actors to try things out in front of an audience and it could be ANYTHING. The night is called 10by3 because there are ten three-minute slots and three ten-minute slots available for the evening. Everyone involved has signed up prior to the night, so it's not a turn-up-and-put-your-name-on-a-list affair. Those involved have been working towards this night for a couple of weeks now. Here's how it's described on the Bristol Old Vic website:

"10by3 is...

...an opportunity for actors, performers and audiences to be involved in making, showing, seeing and developing work for the stage.

...10x3 minutes monologues/dialogues of new work by emerging and established actors and performers along with 3 x10 minute slots from actors who have a more developed piece to show.

...a chance to experiment, dream, play and debate by telling stories and building characters in a theatre in three minutes.

...a networking, development and ‘test-bed' opportunity for actors to try out new skills, new directions and new challenges with their work.

...offers actors the opportunity to perform on the Studio stage with whatever piece of work they want to try out. It can be exploring a new speech, honing a dialogue or trying a whole new style of performance in front of an audience in an informal evening of fresh-off-the-press work.

...gives audience the unique chance to see work by actors in early stages of development and have a direct contribution by discussing the work with the performers over a drink in the bar."

Although currently aimed at actors, one of the driving forces behind the evening, Sharon Clark, playwright and co-ordinator of The Writers' Room is keen for the evenings to evolve so that writers who want to 'try out' their work can team up with actors and use the scratch nights as a playground for development. This would be in addition to the initial model for the evening.

Listening to Sharon speak at a recent Equity meeting, she is clearly enthusiastic about and driven by the new vision for the theatrical community in Bristol. This is a vision inspired by what has taken place at the Bristol Old Vic, but is not exclusive to the theatre. The message from all sides is clear: the new way the theatre wants and needs to work must be based around the central mantra of inclusion not exclusion. This can then feed into what is happening in the wider theatrical community in both the city and the South West.

Scratch nights like 10by3 are just some of the first steps along this path and the more support we give them, the more those pushing for change can achieve.

10by3 takes place on Friday 12th June at 7.30pm and tickets are just £3 for further information, click on the links below.

Links:

10by3
The Writers' Room
Sharon Clark on Twitter

Friday 22 May 2009


BODYWORKS Masterclasses


As part of Bodyworks, Tobacco Factory Theatre's dance and physical performance initiative, there's the opportunity to train with two of Bristol's hottest young companies - Kompany Malakhi and Precarious.



Bodyworks Masterclass

KOMPANY MALAKHI

Thurs 04 June, 1.30 - 4.30pm

£15

Kompany Malakhi's trademark synthesis of contemporary dance and street styles pushes the boundaries of physical theatre. This masterclass for professional and experienced dancers will give participants an insight into director/performer Kwesi Johnson's creative process, focusing on techniques drawn from contemporary dance, Breakin' and Capoeira, and looking at physical and Hip Hop theatre.

Kompany Malakhi's latest production, Boxin, is appearing at Bristol Old Vic on 22 & 23 May.





Bodyworks Masterclass

PRECARIOUS

Fri 05 June, 1.30 - 4.30pm

£15

Award-winning performance company Precarious have acquired a cult following for their cutting-edge productions that seamlessly fuse physical theatre and multimedia. These masterclasses are a great opportunity to meet the company for a fun, friendly, highly physical day's training and an insight into their distinctive working practice. The sessions will involve physical and vocal warm ups, improvisation (including contact work), exploratory tasks and the chance to learn some repertoire from the company's productions.

Suitable for students and professional performers (dancers, actors, circus artists).




BOX OFFICE: 0117 902 0344 / tickets@tobaccofactory.com



For details of the full BODYWORKS programme,
click here


Saturday 16 May 2009


Review of 'The Weepers'



The following is my review for Theatre Bristol.

I have a bit of an aversion to sitting in the front row. At the cinema you are too close to see the screen properly, and in the theatre there’s a high chance you may get dragged into some kind of audience participation. So, imagine my horror when I heard someone mention no latecomers would be admitted because the audience were ‘part of it’, just before I walked into the auditorium to discover the only seat visibly remaining was in the front row…

The audience are seated on the stage for this production, so as soon as everyone is in, the iron (the big metal ‘curtain’) is lowered and you are left watching a topless man sitting at a table, who has quietly watched you enter the space. It’s at this point you feel the first little bit of theatrical magic; it’s a mixture of anticipation and mild claustrophobia.

At the performance I attended, as the topless actor started to set the scene (by pretending to light a fire), I heard a voice from the audience say ‘I was just thinking you must be getting very cold’. Instead of ignoring this comment, the actor replied ‘I’m fine, no really it’s fine’.

Right from the start there is no illusion of separation between actor and audience. You are absorbed into the world of the characters with skilful storytelling and engaging performances. However, there is none of the dreaded ‘audience participation’ I had feared, just no barriers, allowing the audience to be part of the piece.

Skutr is a Czech theatre company and the play is built around traditional ‘weep-songs’, Slavic songs for the dead. You quickly establish that an old man has died and ‘The Weepers’ have come to mourn him. The old man gives us his musings on life throughout the play, while the other characters explore some of those thoughts and develop them into new ones through song, dance and physical theatre.

Running at about fifty minutes, the show is a short but sweet journey through life. That’s not to say all of the imagery is ‘sweet’; the representation of an abusive relationship, for example, is dark and uncomfortable. Other moments are hilarious (especially the representation of what it’s like to be a teenage boy), and yet more are painfully poignant, as we have all grasped at the shadows of ones we have loved and lost.

The show only runs until Saturday 16th May, but if there are any tickets left, I whole-heartedly recommend it as it’s easily the best of the shows I have seen this Mayfest and it made me glad to be sitting in the dreaded front row!

Four Stars ****

Wednesday 13 May 2009


Reviews of Kellerman and The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley

Kellerman by Imitating the Dog



Set in a psychiatric institution, the production explores the themes of time-travel, history and memory, while posing the question ‘what is reality?’

Kellerman’s mind is so confused, I don’t really know what happened in the end, or if it ever truly ‘ended’. He believes he repeatedly travels back in time, consistently altering history and thereby creating a series of alternate realities (or at least, I think that’s what they were trying to suggest – I may have misunderstood!). He is searching for the wife and child he believes have disappeared, but his therapist protests have never existed.

The whole production is visually stunning, with hints of The Matrix and The Time-Traveller’s Wife, and a lot of the animation is reminiscent of A Scanner Darkly. This all gives the piece a very gothic appearance and takes you deep into the mind of Kellerman. However, all of the dialogue is pre-recorded (for use in the animation), so the actors mime.

Personally, I thought the actors gave really good performances, but I felt they were fairly redundant and at times just a distraction from the animation. When their miming and physical actions were in sync with the animation, it gained a new dimension, but as soon as they were out of time, for me, it destroyed the magic.

Although I found the storyline confusing, I would still recommend that you see this show as it is so unusual and inventive.


The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley


Shirley is a boy with a girl’s name, who finds a friend in the unconventional superhero, Wound Man (the character in the poster with all the weapons sticking out of him!). The play tells the story of their friendship and escapades, and, according to the flyer, is about “growing up and getting braver”.

Set in Shirley’s bedroom (brilliantly designed by Janet Bird), the entire story is narrated by Chris Goode and aided by the occasional animation; it’s a bit like ‘Jackanory Live’ for adults. The script was very funny and well written, but some of the humour was lost in the performance.

I felt the production needed more animation – the ‘skylight’ was wonderful, but was not utilised anywhere near enough! I would also say that it could do with a bit of ‘tweaking’. The characters, for example, were at times, vocally confused (although Wound Man did maintain a consistent vocal identity throughout the show). The physicality of the characters was also not consistently maintained. Despite these points, I thought it was very funny, and overall I really enjoyed the show.

Both shows run until Wednesday 13th May 2009.

Links:


Mayfest Website
Bristol Old Vic
Tobacco Factory Theatre

Saturday 9 May 2009


King Pest, and Night Flyer


Last night I reviewed King Pest and Night Flyer for Theatre Bristol. However, I'm not sure what time the review will be live on the site, so I'm posting it here as the show finishes today. There's still time to catch the matinee or the evening performance. Click here to go to the Mayfest website.




The Paper Cinema and Kora present King Pest, and Night Flyer

I walked into the Bristol Old Vic bar tonight and immediately loved the atmosphere. The plastic chairs and tables had been replaced for the festival by an eclectic mix of old wooden ones, while the walls were plastered with production posters and all around was the buzz of anticipation.

Moving into the Paintshop, the atmosphere was even more electric as this comparatively small space was full to the brim with an audience eager to find out what the night had in store. It was very intimate and I felt like part of a privileged group. Sitting down, I realised I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but having read the phrases ‘ink blotches’ and ‘fully fledged puppet actors’, I had deduced it was something I wanted to see.

I mistakenly thought that King Pest and Night Flyer was all one name, but they are actually two separate ‘paper films’. King Pest was commissioned as part of Punchdrunk’s The Masque of the Red Death and based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Night Flyer is an original magical creation of The Paper Cinema. Both were accompanied by live viola and guitar, played by Kora. I’m not going to give any further description as I believe part of the enjoyment lies in losing yourself in what you are watching and allowing the puppets (and puppeteers) to tell you their story.

I really enjoyed the production and loved the whole concept of a ‘paper cinema’. Probably the best way to describe it would be to call it live animation, as the static pen and ink drawings are brought to life on a giant screen while you sit with the puppeteers and watch them work their storytelling-magic before your eyes.

The music was beautiful and really complimented the animation. I could have listened to Kora all night; his playing took me on the journey of the characters and I was rather sad when it ended.
This is a gem of a show, but it is only on until Saturday 9th May, so don’t miss out, grab some tickets and allow yourself to be drawn into (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun) the animated magic of The Paper Cinema.


Four Stars ****

Friday 8 May 2009


Out and about for Mayfest


Spring has sprung and Bristol's fabulous theatre festival 'Mayfest', is in bloom.


If you have yet to discover this annual festival, now in it's sixth year, then here's what it's all about in a nutshell:

'Mayfest is an annual celebration of contemporary physical, visual and experimental theatre from Bristol, the UK and overseas'
(Mayfest Programme 2009)

Shows take place across the city from the Bristol Old Vic and the Tobacco Factory Theatre to 'A secret location in central Bristol' (the last being the setting for Duncan Speakman's My World is Empty Without You).

Producers Kate Yedigaroff and Matthew Austin have pulled out all the stops this year to create an incredibly exciting and varied festival, whilst managing to maintain low ticket prices (and keep an eye out for special offers!).

You can also get involved with numerous workshops and discussions taking place over the course of the festival, just take a look at the website or the back of the Mayfest brochure for further details.

In addition to writing about productions on Downstage Write, I will providing some reviews for the Theatre Bristol website. You can already read my review of Hard Hearted Hannah and Other Stories by clicking here. You can also keep up to date with new posts on Downstage Write by following me on Twitter.

So grab yourself some tickets and get involved in one of Bristol's most exciting events on the theatrical calendar.

Links:

Friday 1 May 2009


Keith Reynolds Can't Make It Tonight


I attended this month's Cineformation at the Watershed last night and one of the guest speakers was Felix Massie. I do have a bit of a penchant for animation and really liked his short films, so I quickly wanted to highlight his work.

If you're interested in film but haven't yet discovered Cineformation, it's a forum for independent film and video makers. Offering an opportunity for writers, producers, directors, actors, crew and enthusiasts to meet, share ideas and screen films. The aim is to foster an active, vibrant, creative frenzy of filmmaking in the South West. The events are themed and usually take place on the last Thursday of every month and are FREE to attend.

The theme for this month was 'Comedy' and I thought Felix Massie's animated shorts Keith Reynolds Can't Make It Tonight and The Supreme Demise of Francis Cooper's Mother were absolutely hilarious! You can see preview clips of these films on his website, but I've included his showreel below, so watch and enjoy...




The next Cineformation event is about scriptwriting and will take place on Thursday 28th May 2009 at 7pm.

Don't forget Encounters Short Film Festival is now calling for submissions. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday 30th June 2009.

Cineformation
Follow Watershed on Twitter
Follow Encounters Short Film Festival
Felix Massie's Website

Saturday 25 April 2009


BRAVEry



I didn’t really know what to expect when I headed off to the Bristol Old Vic on Tuesday night to watch BRAVE, an ambitious collaboration between The Young Company and volunteer professional actors. Having worked with Tid, I know his style well, but I wasn’t sure what form the play would find on its journey to the stage. What I witnessed broke my heart and made me choke on my drink with hysterical laughter in equal measure.

BRAVE began its journey back in December when the group began to rehearse, sharing their stories and memories. Throughout the process they collected additional inspiration from outside sources to add to their melting pot of creativity. As you enter the theatre you will see a huge book containing thousands of these collated visual and written memories followed by a wall bearing even more; clearly a plethora of stimuli for the actors. Under the skill and guidance of directors Tid (Ian Tidbury) and Miranda Cromwell, they worked on devising and eventually scripting pieces. You can see the rehearsal process in action on their Facebook Group page and on YouTube. Below are a couple of their YouTube videos:













The scope of the piece is so vast and filled with brilliant ideas, but with only a couple of hours to fill, there is clearly just as much innovation and work left behind on the dusty floor of the rehearsal room as there is on the stage.
It’s hard to talk about the production without giving it all away, as part of the magic resides in not quite knowing where you will be taken next!




Lying between the snapshots of memories and vignettes of experience, there are cohesive stories that slowly unravel through the piece. What immediately struck me to the core was the beautiful representation of abuse. As you watch these particular scenes, I defy you not to be touched by the painful recognition that this is part of so many children’s lives and the realisation that you are likely to be watching the anonymous, direct experiences of people on the stage before you.

Some of my favourite moments include ‘Kiss Chase’ and ‘Who wants to be a parent?’, but my favourite line belongs to the grandmother in one of the ‘knitted jumper’ scenes – most of us have been subjected to hideous knitted creations, hailing from elderly relatives, forced to wear them in public whenever said relation is present. Most of us have also experienced the itchiness and rash caused by the dreaded article, but the grandmother in BRAVE has an explanation for this, apparently it’s “a sign of quality wool”.

The scene that made me choke on my drink shall remain undefined. It was a scene of two halves and this particular half created a division of response within the audience as some of us rolled in the aisles and others were outraged we were not watching the other half of the scene. Being asked “will you be quiet?!” by an angry woman in an incredibly teacher-like fashion only served to transport us further into our memories and feelings of being ‘naughty little children’. Although hysterical laughter was probably not what was initially intended by the imagery, this was the first night the production had been viewed by an outside audience and our response was based on our connection to the piece, the memories it stirred and the actors within the piece. It was therefore equally as valid as the response from those who did not laugh, because they connected to what was happening elsewhere in the scene.

It’s hard to say if the emotions I felt would have been as heightened without the score of the madcap genius Peter Reynolds. Performing live with actors dipping in and out playing a variety of instruments, he accentuates every moment beautifully as his music filters into your mind and whispers its own story.

On paper, with over 400 people involved and almost 200 on stage, it sounds like a recipe for disaster, but the reality is a triumph of coordination and memorial stimulation. I defy anyone who watches this production, to not recognise a piece of themselves in this tribute to the bravery of all those people who opened the door of their childhood and let their recollections come out to play.


BRAVE is on until Sunday 26th April 2009.

Links:

Young Company Blog
Booking Details
Suit Yourself Magazine Review
Toby Farrow (Photographer) Website

Monday 20 April 2009


Never let a boy brush your hair


Ladies, be warned. This is a tale of follicular horror; it may bring back childhood traumas.

We are regularly told about the biological differences between the sexes and how boys and girls are instinctively raised differently on this basis. We take many experiences for granted, forgetting the opposite sex may blunder into folly due to a lack of common knowledge, uncommon to their sex.

In this instance I am, as the title suggests, referring to knowledge of hairbrushes. I realised this difference working with a group of children after a curtain call. Planning to gather the troops, I headed backstage, only to be greeted by a gaggle of girls. I asked what was wrong and a chorus of ‘she’s got a brush stuck in her hair’ arose. As the girl at the centre of the group turned around, I could see there was indeed a brush firmly stuck in her hair, with its handle clearly sticking out from the side of her head. Closer inspection revealed it wasn’t going to be a quick removal. This was no ordinary brush; this was one of those fine-bristled barrel brushes. A paddle version (one with a flat back) would probably have worked well, but because a barrel brush is round, it wraps the hair all the way around the brush. It’s the type that most girls will have experimented with and stayed well clear of for the rest of their lives. Yes ladies, one of those brushes; the kind that easily grips your hair and mats it together almost instantly; the kind you can start to brush with, stop mid stroke and it will happily stay where it is until you actively remove it - along with a clump of your hair. Well imagine if you can that someone has tried to rapidly back-brush your long, thick hair with one. Ouch.

Within moments of realising the scope of the operation, a guilt-stricken, male colleague arrived to remove the brush. During a quick-change a group of children needed to become wild and dishevelled, so back-brushing was the order of the day. My colleague had unwittingly picked up the worst possible brush and begun his task only to rapidly discover he was unable to remove it. The little girl had to go on stage and perform with it attached to her head. Then, unable to remove it before the curtain call, she stood before her parents and bowed, brush firmly affixed, tears now rolling down her face as thoughts of having to leave it there forever or having all her hair chopped off flooded into her head.

Apologising profusely and not really knowing what to do in this situation, my colleague made a sharp exit and I spent the next half an hour meticulously unravelling hair, as the stage manager pacified and distracted my patient. Her efforts were nearly in vain, as a passer-by helpfully commented “Oh dear, you’ll have to chop all that off won’t you!” Thankfully we didn’t. I worked through my quiet despair and by some small miracle managed to extricate the brush with the loss of only a couple of strands – I’m not saying she didn’t leave looking like an eighties throwback a la ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’, but she was able to leave with her hair intact and the sage advice from many a female member of staff: “conditioner, conditioner, conditioner”.

The moral of this story is: unless he’s a trained hairdresser, never let a boy brush your hair (well back-brush it).


Sunday 19 April 2009


‘Once more unto the breach, dear friends...’

This is the first post I have ever made and it’s a long one, about the meeting I attended at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre on Thursday 16th April 2009.

The building was buzzing as we filed into the Theatre Royal auditorium. It was a who’s who of local creatives and supporters.

Dick Penny began by thanking the theatre’s supporters and apologising to those who had not yet received replies to their suggestions and ideas, but the level of correspondence has been tremendous and they are continuing to work through it.

He then recapped on how the theatre had been developing over the last year, both physically and financially. Physically, large parts of the exterior and the fly tower are currently under scaffolding, whilst asbestos has been systematically removed from the interior. Financially, he confirmed with pride, the theatre was now solvent and as a result was finally in a position to start investing in “the art” as well as the building. For a theatre seemingly in dire straits only eighteen months ago, it may come as a surprise to hear that he feels the theatre will not really be affected by the recession, but his reasoning is clear; in addition to renewed Arts Council funding and ongoing fundraising efforts, the theatre is expanding its work slowly and is running on a small number of staff, thirty-five to be exact, instead of the pre-redundancy level of eighty-five. This means, the theatre is currently in a stable position so long as it continues to develop in this way.

Dick was keen to point out that the theatre has been open since December last year, with performances taking place in the Studio and Basement. The Theatre Royal will be back in use next week with the Young Company’s production, BRAVE.

Another key message was the new vision for the theatre; the Bristol Old Vic is part of the community. It is not a stand-alone entity to be revered as untouchable by other members of the theatre world; it is open and indeed, actively seeking to work with others. With about forty companies currently using the building, including Theatre Bristol, who now have a base there, he wants the theatre to be viewed as a resource for the artistic community.

Finally, the time came for us to hear from Artistic Director, Tom Morris. Although some may be cynical, I believe he could be the white knight for whom we have been waiting. He has a long-term vision and a genuine passion and excitement for the role he will take on in September.

Tom is currently working at The National Theatre, where he worked on the hugely successful adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s book War Horse, and with Bristol favourite, Knee-High Theatre Company on A Matter of Life and Death. He has previously worked with Emma Stenning at the Battersea Arts Centre; a place he described as an “eccentric, falling-down building”, suggesting a sense of ‘de ja vu’ in his new role.

As I listened to Tom, I began to ask myself ‘What makes a good Artistic Director’? I believe it is someone with a true vision who embodies the quality of a true leader. He or she must be a Henry V of the theatre they run; they must be more than an inspirational orator, they must be willing to lead the charge.

Tom believes theatre should make “an appeal to your imagination”, that it “only exists when you imagine it”. It should be an “act of collaboration” between all involved, from the actors to the audience to the building’s staff.

During his visits to the Bristol Old Vic, he has counted at least fifteen spaces he believes could be used for theatre work and clearly has his imagination set on doing a piece in a tiny, hidden bar he discovered in the top of the building. If an artist approached him with an idea for the space he would no doubt listen, as he believes that in order to create the kind of work he supports, the only requirement is faith in the lead artist/s behind an idea. How does he define an ‘artist’? As “a person who can see round corners” and is crucially skilled in two ways; firstly in how they see the world and secondly, how they articulate that view in a way that enables some of us to catch a glimpse.

Executive Director Emma Stenning spoke briefly about her background, which included working with Tom before travelling to theatres around the world. Recently she worked for the A.C.E. at a time when they were making some very difficult decisions and she worked as the Head of the Manchester International Festival; she hopes these experiences will help her to fulfil her role in Bristol.

She clearly shared her colleague’s enthusiasm for her new role and said she would “start today” if she could.

The final part of the evening consisted of a series of questions from the audience. The questioning revealed that work on the electrics means the building will close again at some point, but it won’t stop them being active as a company.

After a reference to the ‘Main House’, Tom and Dick abolished the use of ‘Main’ house or stage and reinstated the use of ‘Theatre Royal’. For them ‘Main’ breeds in people’s minds an implicit division in the quality of work or as Tom put it, “the Main Stage for proper work and the Studio for slightly embarrassing work”.

When asked how soon they would start producing plays after Tom and Emma’s arrival in the autumn, it was pointed out that the theatre had already started producing with the Catherine Johnson commission Suspension, but the Autumn would see Tom collaborating with Dick, evolving gradually until April 2010, when Tom would be fully in charge of the programme.

One audience member loved their ideas but asked if they could make them pay. Dick Penny answered by making us question how we view the Arts; he said it all depended on what was meant by ‘make it pay’. He illustrated his point by saying that we ‘invest’ in hospitals but we ‘subsidise’ art. The reality is, they just can’t make enough money from the box office to do what they really want, but as long as they don’t spend more than they earn, he believes they can ‘make it pay’. Emma reiterated that they needed to come in on budget and on time, but working out the financial model and reinventing it was key to creating a nimble organisation that could respond quickly.

Throughout the questioning their agenda was clear. They are striving for a theatre of inclusion not exclusion. For audiences this means a diversification of the theatre’s output, broadening their demographic appeal, but doing so without alienating current supporters. For local ‘artists’ this means no longer viewing theatre as an impenetrable fortress, but as a resource, a place where they can eventually gain guidance.

Dick Penny has clearly managed to inspire the respect and faith of a large number of people but many will no doubt be sceptical that Tom Morris can make his ideas a reality, which is understandable, as he has yet to prove his worth to the Bristol audience. I would say to those sceptics that he has no crystal ball, he cannot show us the future, all he can do is outline how he plans to develop the theatre and solve issues raised; only time will tell if it all works. What he does have is vision, experience, passion and a brilliant track record; he is a man who can ‘see round corners’.

In my opinion Tom, Emma and Dick have the right view of the future; they are trying to build something that can last. If they succeed, if they continue to doggedly refuse to be pushed into quick fixes, I believe they could create a true legacy in an age where so much is about getting immediate results. If they succeed they could create a long term artistic prosperity instead of an ephemeral financial glory.

Other articles you may be interested in:

Guardian Blog
National Theatre department profile
What’s on Stage
Bristol Evening Post
Telgraph Review of Suspension
BRAVE